It is well-known in the animal nutrition field that volatile fatty acids such as butyric acid, isobutyric acid, and valeric acid improve milk production in dairy cows. However one of the main drawbacks of using these volatile acids for this purpose is their strong odor. The odor has sometimes been described as smelling of extreme rancidity, vomit, and/or extreme body odor. Eastman Kodak originally produced these compounds for the animal industry, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,547, which discloses making calcium salts of the isoacids, but they never saw widespread use, due to their odor. The odor was less a problem to the animals eating the fermentation enhancer than it was to the workers producing it. Oftentimes workers could not stand the smell, sickened and some even claimed adverse medical effects. There were some efforts to decrease odor, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,790, which relates to decreasing odor by making ammonium salts of the isoacids. Another attempt at improving this type of product was to make the imines from urea and corresponding acid aldehydes (see Publication No. WO 84/006769). However, the aldehydes are significantly more expensive than the acids and this therefore never became a viable product.
Isoacids is the collective term for the branched-chain fatty acids: isobutyric, 2-methylbutyric and isovaleric acid and the straight-chain valeric acid, which are naturally produced in ruminant's digestive tracts. They are mainly built up from the degradation products of the amino acids valine, isoleucine, leucine and proline and should in turn be used for the biosynthesis of those amino acids and higher branched chain volatile fatty acids. Besides their role as specific nutrients for the ruminal cellulolytic bacteria, isoacids seem to have a general positive influence on microbial fermentation. Only limited information is available on the influence of isoacids on the intermediary metabolism. Alteration of the growth hormone and indirect effects (via amino acids) on mammary gland and skeletal muscles are suggested. From a review of cattle experiments, a nutritional supplement of isoacids may also has a positive influence on milk production. For a scientific discussion of isoacids in the digestion and metabolism of the ruminant, see Animal Feed Science and Technology, 18 (1987) 169-180.
There is a continuing need for a convenient low-cost process to lower the odor so as to make volatile fatty acid derived fermentation enhancers a viable feed supplement product that can be used to increase milk production.
There are additional phenomena that are taken advantage in the present invention besides odor reduction. For example, sugars are known to have energy value in feeding ruminants. Typically, they are sticky and difficult to work with. Often they are delivered in liquid form. This invention can provide in some embodiments those as part of the fermentation enhancer composition in an easily processable, and dosable form.
In addition, macro minerals such as calcium and magnesium are important to both the microflora of the rumen, as well as the overall wellbeing of the animal.
There is therefore also a continuing need to develop an odor free fermentation enhancer to supplement ruminant feed that combines all three of these features to alleviate several problems associated with these feed ingredients in the past, all to make a viable product that can be used to increase milk production.
This invention has as its primary objective fulfillment of this continuing need.